Why Using Video is Absolutely Necessary for Your Nonprofit Marketing Strategy

Video marketing has gained tremendous popularity in the last few years. As a matter of fact, according to research conducted in 2020, it was found that 92% of marketers say video marketing was an essential part of the marketing strategy, a rise from 78% in 2015. It is also the case that 86% of businesses use video as a format of marketing.  These stats clearly show the demand for video as a format.

In this article, we look at the benefits of using video in your nonprofit’s marketing strategy, the types of videos that will work best for your nonprofit, and how to effectively implement video marketing. 

Benefits of the Video Format 

Video as a format offers several benefits to marketers — let’s take a look at some of them.

1. Video is an effective format for storytelling – A story can be narrated in multiple formats — text, imagery, audio, video, etc. Video combines these formats to create an emotionally compelling, visually dynamic medium for storytelling that helps hook viewers and tell your story in a creative, informative, and emotional way. 
2. Video is an easy-to-digest form of content that people prefer – Videos are effortless to consume. Quick exercise: Think about being given a choice between reading a 100-page report or watching a 15-minute video with the same content. Know your answer? It was likely the latter, right? This helps illustrate the ease with which videos disseminate information versus, say, a written annual report. 
3. Videos garner better engagement rates – Videos have a better engagement rate on social media than other types of content. Simple as that. This is likely due to the easy-to-digest format and sharability of videos. Research states that 92% of mobile video consumers share videos with others.
4. Videos boost conversion rates – For similar reasons stated above, videos also happen to yield better conversion rates. 90% of consumers claim that videos help them make purchase decisions according to Social Media Today, and HubSpot stated that including a video on a landing page has the potential to increase conversions by 80%!
5. Videos help rank better – Search engines like Google rank high-quality, informative content. With the right keywords, meta description, title, etc., using video content on your website could help improve your SEO ranking.

Types of Video

With the benefits of video format stated, let’s move on to understanding the types of videos your nonprofit can create.

Explainer videos – These are videos that focus on highlighting the basic facts about your nonprofit — your mission, vision, impact, etc. Sum your nonprofit up in a minute or less.

Interviews – Interview your executive director, volunteers, or the people your nonprofit is helping support. Getting people to talk about your nonprofit adds that level of trust and credibility for people just learning about you. 

Live Video – Platforms like Facebook and Instagram have made it super easy to “go live,” meaning you livestream events like campaigns, fundraisers, events, and more, and people can tune in in real-time!

Testimonials – These are endorsement videos from the beneficiaries of your nonprofit. Again, testimonials are a great way to add trust and credibility among your supporters. 

Case Studies – Shoot a creative video that illustrates the impact that your nonprofit is making. Take a camera along (an iPhone camera will do!) on your next service project so you can capture your work on film and share it with your followers.

There are so many advantages and opportunities when it comes to video content, and in an age where we carry around smartphones with high-quality cameras in our pockets, shooting great video footage is easier than ever. Simple video editing tools, like iMovie, help polish footage and put it together in a cohesive manner. Taking the time to use these tools is worth it!